Teacher Discussion Forums

Hello.

My name is Jenny and I have a couple of questions about the TESOL program that you have completed.

I am a 3rd year university student (in Ontario, Canada).

I have been reading over the requirements that you need to enrol in a TESL/TEFL/TESOL program and it says that you must have a bachelor's degree. But, the TESOL program at the University of Toronto requires that you have completed at least 3 years of university education.

Also, it says that if you do not have a bachelor's degree, you will not receive the "TESL Canada Level 1 Instructor Certification," so what will I receive, if say, I enrol in a TESL program that does not require a university degree??? Do I receive a TESL Basic certification but not the TESL Canada certification? I'm confused...

(What is "TESL Canada Level 1 Instructor Certification"? Do I need it to teach English oversease? What is the Level 2 Instructor Certification for?)

Plus, what's the difference between TESOL/TESL/TEFL, and which one is the best to get?

I'm confused, and I would be very grateful if you could help me.

Jenny

My guess is that you are in Toronto or will go there? If you want to teach in Ontario it is probable that you will need the highest qualifications possible because there are not many jobs available in this field and there are a lot of qualified people. It seems in Ottawa these days that Master's level students are getting the jobs along with experienced teachers who are still in the field. To teach with the government or with the government sponsored organizations you will need a pretty high level of qualification. If you are with a volunteer organization, they will take you whatever your qualifications but the pay will also be lower or non-existant. The teachers in Ontario are trying to increase the professionalism of the field and have asked for certification. You have to submit your qualfications to the TESL organization to be approved and that includes some hands on teaching time. You can contacct them for the requirements.

If you want to teach overseas in some place that the pay is reasonable or good, you will also need good qualifications. You can teach in some places without any qualifications other than speaking English. If you just want to travel, go and get a job now. If you want this to be a full-time or life-time job, get the qualifications and the theory from a university course. If you can afford the time and money, it is worthwhile to have a good basis and good contacts with a university.

As for the initials, we hashed this out at
http://www.eslcafe.com/forums/teacher/v ... light=tesl

I live near Toronto, and I want to go abroad in the future to teach English.

Is it better to get a TESOL certificate from a university than, say, a college?

Thanks for your help.

I always recommend a degree or diploma at least. It is not only that you are getting that paper but you are making contacts with people who will support you in the future. It is nice to be able to write to someone about your experiences and since university professors are doing research they often value your hands on experience and want to keep hearing from you. You will make great friends to share in the experiences as well and get to know where to find new research and how to apply it and so on. There are more contacts for really good jobs through this source as well and if you do well, you will get really good references. Toronto has a good reputation so you should be OK with a degree or diploma from there. It is another year of your life but should be fun and very interesting.